Day 224: Social Network Means Be Social

One person defined a "social network" as: A Social Network is a website, or network of websites, specifically established to allow end users to communicate directly with each other on topics of mutual interest.

This got me thinking recently about some people simply are not social on the social networking sites. I have narrowed people down on my site to four categories.

1. Social friends: These are people who view my Facebook/Twitter account and comment. This is reciprocated when a friend is a regular on my page.

2. Friends: These are the ones that are usually not on very often. When they are online you really couldn't tell because they post very infrequently. These people don't stir up anything...they are just cool about whatever you are doing.

3. Spies: These people are the ones who want to be your "friends" but really are doing nothing more than just scanning your content for the latest and great news about you. These people usually will never say a word and are quite recognizable. Usually what they observe about your Facebook will get back to you through another mutual friend. I get this often from other pastors , board members to even on the rare occasion extended family. The spies won't say anything to you directly but rather air it out with a mutual friend. It is your mutual friend that more than likely will report back to you that the "spy" is scanning everything you post.

4. "Enemies": Now I know in a perfect world we are not to have enemies. I get that. For the lack of a better term however, this is the one I chose to use. There is an old statement that goes, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Perhaps that is why we have a hard time dropping people from our Facebook/Twitter accounts. We would never want to hang out with that person unless it is accidental, but you have to know what they are posting at the very least. These people along with "spies" are the ones that after awhile I will drop as a friend. Again, they are very noticeable.

It is called "Social Networking" for a reason...for you to be social. If you are a friend of mine on Facebook than I will post on your wall. I would expect the same in return. For the ones who are my friends on Facebook whom I have never met in person, you can expect if we do ever meet in person that I would carry on our conversation just like we were on Facebook (believe it or not that tends to freak some people out). I personally try not to be the person who is socially bold behind a keyboard and socially retarded in person.